November’s Wild Game

 In the past week, pheasants with a death wish crossed my path twice on separate occasions while I was driving.  The first time, the corner of the vehicle caught a female who continued her flight into the woods after leaving a flurry of feathers in the air.  The second time, an enormous male came within inches of the windshield as he flew to safety across the road.  

Female Ring-necked Pheasant

There is an amazing wildness to the look of these large ground birds when seen up close.  Feather patterns are strikingly beautiful and eye and beak colours assumed to be a dull grey from a distance, are anything but.  

Although pheasants are visible year-round in Cow Bay, and are often seen crossing the roads in a leisurely manner, they seem even more out in the open at this time of year.  I don’t recall seeing so many females along the side of the road in years past.  I’m either getting better at spotting them or they’re getting bolder.  Maybe they’re just trying to get out of the woods where hunting season is in full swing for their species until December 15th.

Earlier this week I noticed a male working very hard at directing a female’s movements in the front yard.  I’m not sure what that was all about.  Mating season is over and males usually congregate by themselves as the winter approaches.   Maybe he was trying to tell her to stay here where it was safe, instead of wandering into the more dangerous woods.

Yesterday a ruffed grouse that didn’t want its picture taken suddenly appeared in the yard.  They are much more secretive than pheasants and quick runners.  Their feathers certainly help them stay well camouflaged, so it may have been hanging around for some time before I managed to see it. 

November’s shorter daylight hours bring about a change in the colour of snowshoe hares, making them easier to spot on the landscape.

Snowshoe Hare in November

A favorite resting area for them during the day is under the spruce and fir trees.  Although they’re visible year round, their lighter fur in the fall is more eye-catching than usual, even on grey rainy days such as this one. 

This particular one looks quite rounded and ready for the winter.  But if the snow doesn’t fly soon, it will have to be extra careful to keep itself hidden from predators.

Snowshoe hares, ring-necked pheasants and ruffed grouse are all hunted in Nova Scotia at this time of year. 

For more information on regulations regarding hunting small game in Nova Scotia, see http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/hunt/smlgame.asp

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The Migration Continues

There’s no stop these days to sights of geese flying south.  I continue to see flocks heading out in the morning, but today’s numbers baffled the mind.  Where are all these birds coming from?  Who would have thoughts there were so many Canada geese living north of here.

Some appear to be flying in V-like formations but most seem to be in strands that look like ribbons of smoke at a distance.

Wherever they are headed, in such large numbers they are bound to have an effect on the locations where they rest for the night.  How do so many large birds find food in one spot?  Seeing so many this morning, I could only stand in awe of their numbers and wonder. 

As numerous as they are, their existence, like everything else on the planet, is fragile.  In the 1500s, Canadian explorer Jacques Cartier noted that the flocks of passenger pigeons he saw flying overhead blackened the sky.  They’re now extinct.

There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds… There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and  spring after the winter.

~ Rachel Carson

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Sunrise Flight

The sun is just rising along the Salt Marsh Trail when the sound of geese begins to float in from the north.  They are waking up just beyond the island and preparing for flight.

Moments later, their distant honking turns into a loud roar.  What are they calling out to each other as they head out to sea?

Their numbers are in the thousands and it’s impossible to photograph them all in the sky.  To see so many geese flying directly overhead at dawn is an awesome experience.  The rays of dawn light up their feathers, revealing the beauty of their markings.

Their formations are like ribbons in the sky as they begin to organize themselves for their long journey south.

Within a couple of minutes, the event is over as they head out beyond the marsh to the Atlantic.  The sun is still rising beyond the horizon.

Forty minutes later, a lone goose can be heard flying around the marsh.  Its calls are distinct and clearly those of a Canada goose.  How did it possibly miss the wake up call? 

Its unanswered calls sound lonely and frantic.  Geese are known for their manner of leaving no goose behind.  How could this have happened?  Hopefully there will be more geese passing through here this week and this lone goose will be able to join the rest of its kind in their long journey south.

 

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A Black Visitor

You can just barely see its tail hanging over the roof  in the photograph taken from my office window.  Although this black bird’s been here before, today’s visit on All Hallows Eve seems especially ominous. 

A black crow or raven on the roof is supposed to foretell of death or harm coming to a dwelling’s inhabitants.  Good grief!  Isn’t life worrisome enough already without all these extra superstitions?  I prefer to believe that a thirsty bird has simply come to have a drink of the water that collects in the eavestrough at the north-east corner of the roof. 

 

I don’t think my black cat questions why feathered visitors stop by. She’s just glad they do.

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Flying Between the Lines

It’s never easy to stay in line or keep it between the lines. Those who look on from the sidelines might take for granted the effort that’s required. Things done well often look like they come naturally to the doer. Yet this is seldom so.

In his book Outliers about super achievers, Malcolm Gladwell notes that success in our endeavours depends more on effort and practice than natural ability, intelligence or education.  He strongly advocates the need for 10,000 hours of practice at any skill in order to master it.

There’s no denying the amount of work required to flap your wings from Canada to the warmer places south of the border.  Some days must be easier than others.  Weather is seldom perfect.  Yet despite all the hard work, geese may know something we humans don’t yet realize about achieving our goals. 

Geese take turns at the lead. Depending on who’s strongest on a given day, the leader facing the most powerful winds may be one goose one day and another the next.  If one goose falls ill or is injured, a couple stay back to care for it until they can all continue their journey together.  The code geese live by ensures that getting everyone in the air and on their way will always take priority over any goose getting to the destination first.

Gladwell also noticed that super achievers had a remarkable amount of support from others in their journey to success.  Sharing strengths with others and daily support and encouragement from family and friends is crucial in order for all of us to achieve our goals and dreams.  Geese already seem to know how to do this.  We can all learn much from their example.

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Stalking Geese Before Dawn

Canada Goose Bridge

Even on a flat trail, there are many disadvantages to walking in a salt marsh in the dark:  you don’t always see the puddles or the uneven wood planks on the bridge; you can’t enjoy fall’s beautiful colours; and, you never know what’s lurking in the woods, or ahead of you on the trail.  However, the hour before dawn is ideal for seeing shooting stars and listening to herons, ducks and seagulls as they awaken.  During migration season, it’s also wonderful to listen to the flocks of hundreds, if not thousands of geese that rest overnight in the salt marsh.

Geese in the Dark

Although they could be heard talking to one another in the darkness yesterday morning, by the time I arrived near their resting area today, the geese were just taking  flight.  The sound was amazingly loud as they flew above the trees.  I wondered what had startled them so early.

A flashing light soon became apparent on the trail ahead.  Hunters!  In a conservation area!  They had walked into the park using the trail and were dressed in waders.  Carrying guns, they explained that they were waiting for a boat to pick them up and take them to a spot that was beyond the park limits.  Hmmmm…

 A light from a very quiet boat could be seen approaching the shore.  It had set out across the water from a launch area situated next to nearby Rainbow Haven Provincial Park.

Canada Goose by John James Audubon

The first time I walked along the salt marsh trail in the Peter McNab Kuhn Conservation Area, hunters shot down a duck that was retrieved by their dog right next to the trail.  It was Thanksgiving Monday and not quite what I was expecting from a walk in the park.  From the trail, I could see hunters in camouflage gear lying low behind their blinds on a nearby island.  The area had probably been used for years by hunters who entered the area by boat and weren’t aware of the area’s new park status.

These days however, all hunters should be aware of park limits.  Regardless of how delectable a goose might be for Christmas dinner, somehow it just doesn’t seem right to be using a park trail to bring hunting gear into an area in order to stalk geese before first light.  Knowing the goose was hunted in that manner would certainly leave a bad taste in my mouth.

 

When Female Woodpeckers Visit

It was almost evening when three woodpeckers appeared in the woods behind the house.  Despite the dimming light, through the window I could see them flutter from tree to tree while I worked at the kitchen sink. 

All downy woodpeckers, it seemed that they were also all female.  Once outside, I noticed that none of them had the red dot on the back of their heads that’s typical of males.  They were also  feeding on the trunks of trees, which females do.  Males will typically feed off smaller branches or weeds.

The woodpeckers were soon on their way into the deeper woods. Unfortunately, their visit was short and my photos of them are dimly lit, but as I walked back towards the house, I noticed that one of them had left me a memento of their visit in the birdbath.  Probably a reminder for me to not forget to put out some suet for them this winter.

 

Marsh Raptors

Walking through the salt marsh, it’s easy to get distracted by the flowers growing along the trail and the small birds that flitter past.  Your eyes follow the sandpipers and kingfishers until they fly out of sight.  Even the changing color of the marsh grass can take your focus until suddenly you see them:  the raptors of the marsh.

Ospreys are unmistakable, even at a distance, by the manner in which they hover in one place as they target their prey in the water.  There are many fish here, some even breaking the surface of the water with their movements.  Once a fish is sighted, the osprey will dive head first into the water to get it.  They’ll do this again and again until they are successful.  They hit the water with such force that they can break a wing in the process.

Bald eagles have a more varied diet but still rely on fish for 90% of their diet. Unlike ospreys, they don’t dive into the water, but instead use their talons to catch fish that are swimming close to the surface.

Eagles are also known to steal fish from the smaller ospreys. Snowshoe hares, red squirrels, voles, snakes and ducks may also find themselves on an eagle’s breakfast menu.

This year I’ve seen as many as four adult eagles flying at the same time in the marsh.  I also saw four flying together last fall.  Immature eagles are brown speckled with white and do not have the characteristic white head and tail until they reach their fifth year.  There are probably some juveniles in the marsh as well.

It is not uncommon to see eagles in flight around the Salt Marsh Trail.  Unlike the gulls, crows and sandpipers, they are very quiet and will patiently sit on a roost for long periods of time.  It’s also quite easy to get distracted by the flowers and simply walk by them, unaware of their presence.

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The Ongoing Saga of the Ospreys

Once eggs are laid, Osprey couples ensure that there is always one of them present in the nest. While one keeps the eggs warm or looks after the chicks (usually the female), the other (usually the male) goes hunting and brings back food (usually fish) for the family.

I was able to capture this image of what appears to be a parent sitting on the edge of the nest while a chick (or could it be a sitting parent?) is in the nest itself.  Its head is barely visible but it is definitely there.  The nest is VERY high up on a pole at the entrance to MacDonald’s beach on Caldwell Road in Eastern Passage / Shearwater.

Although I did try to move closer to the nest, the calls made by the Osprey were so loud that I was concerned about getting dive bombed.  I was once attacked by a Blue Jay while trying to rescue a chick that had fallen from a nest.  Having a jay clawing at my head was bad enough.  I don’t think I want the experience of being attacked by a bird of prey. This one was noticeably agitated by my presence, so I quickly took my photos and left.

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Tall Ships and Non-Native Species

The Tall Ships have been in Halifax all weekend, leaving today with a spectacular parade of sail.  This colorful display of ships from around the world was touted as the must-see event in Canada this summer.  A couple of centuries ago however, it wasn’t uncommon to see tall ships in the harbour, as they were the only mode of transportation to the New World.

Many non-native species arrived on this side of the Atlantic by tall ship.  Two among them, ring-necked pheasants and common periwinkles, have done so well here, that it’s surprising that they aren’t actually native to the area.

Ring-necked pheasants were first introduced to Nova Scotia as game birds in 1856 and once again in 1890.  Native to China, few survived the trip and those that did, didn’t do very well in the wild, although they had been successfully introduced in Europe.  An attempt was made to introduce them again in the early 1900s, at which time they were able to survive and multiply.

Pheasants now strut around the woods and roads of Cow Bay like they own the place.  They seem to feel very comfortable in our yard, especially in recent years.  The males’ crowing is very loud and has often awakened us at all hours of the night and early morning.

Common periwinkles arrived here from Europe in the ballast of ships in the mid 1800s.  Walking along the shore today, it’s almost impossible to not spot them grazing on ‘green slime’ algae or sea lettuce. They cover stones and other available hard surfaces in the intertidal zone where they’re a favorite of shore birds and green crabs.

Introduced species that become pests are known as invasive species.  The Zebra mussel, another ballast stowaway, has risen to this status in North America.  Neither pheasants nor periwinkles are yet considered such in Nova Scotia.  However, as pheasants are no longer hunted in Cow Bay, their numbers are likely to become greater unless it becomes difficult for them to find tall grassy areas where they can nest undisturbed.  And as long as green crabs and shore birds are present along our shores, they’ll continue to keep the number of periwinkles in check.

I wonder if anything unusual came into Nova Scotia with the tall ships this weekend…

Collage of tall ships created from photos at www.tallships.com

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